Oh, so close.
Andrew Doheny of Newport Beach barely missed out on what would have been the biggest win of his young surfing career, losing in the final heat Tuesday at the Oakley World Pro Junior off the black sand beach in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia.
As...

It's always exciting to meet people who have bravely given up "real jobs" to fulfill their passions after years of thinking and planning. John Bennett and Hans-Erich Vogel are two such people.
They recently opened Vin Goat, the cleverly-dubbed wine and...

Axel Eaton admitted his trip to South America last summer was an eye-opener.
At the urging of his mom, Eaton, a Newport Harbor High student, joined Waves for Development last year, and was struck by the level of poverty when he took a trip to Lobitos,...

Tiffany and Raffi Sepetjian are serious foodies who love to travel, particularly to France where they have family.
Even though Raffi has a large independent cigar business in California and Tiffany owned a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory franchise,...

Right now, there's a good chance Laguna Beach's James Pribram is on a standup paddleboard, off the Southern California coast probably in North San Diego County.
Whether or not he's having fun is debatable, but there is no doubt Pribram is doing something good.
Pribram, who has come to be known as the "Eco-Warrior" for his advocacy work for clean oceans and beaches, accepted an invitation to join the guys at Below the Surface, a non-profit organization that promotes water conservation and improving water...

A couple hundred people paddled out on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier Sunday while hundreds more lined the pier or stood on the sand to honor Surfline.com founder Sean Collins, who died of a heart attack Dec. 26.
Collins' two sons, Tyler and A.J., participated in the paddleout and got in the middle of the circle of surfers, who applauded as they stood up on a pile of surfboards.
During a ceremony on the sand, friends and family spoke of Collins and his impact on surfing, and shared personal...

Grant Sevdayan founded the Huntington Beach Symphony to fill a vacuum in the local musical landscape.
Although the city offered a vibrant rock scene, Sevdayan also knew of formally trained classical musicians who were forced to stay home or drive 15 or 20 miles to find an orchestra.
"People now have the chance to play music and exercise their skills," said Sevdayan, a Torrance resident. "They are able to serve the community and feel important and inspired."
Taking its roots in a communitywide...

Courtney Conlogue has her groove on at the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing.
Just don't ask her how she's slipped into it.
"I don't want to think about it....I don't want to jinx anything," said the 20-year-old, eyes smiling and with a light, rolling chuckle in her voice. "All I know is that I was relaxed today."
Relaxed, perhaps. Smart in her approach and the leader throughout the Women's Round 3 30-minute heat Thursday at the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, definitely.
As she did in her...

Surf City, meet "Planet Surf."
That's the title of a two-part documentary that, a few months from now, will broadcast a glimpse of Huntington Beach's surf culture on French television. Frances Wimberge, a director for the public station France 4, visited town with her cameraman Sunday to record the Blessing of the Waves, Duke's, the International Surfing Museum and other local staples.
But her documentary, which is scheduled to air in January, is not intended just as a tribute to Huntington. Rather, it'...

This coming Memorial Day weekend is a three-day holiday. What this often means for most of the country is that it's time to dust off the barbecue and get ready for summer cookouts. Since we have that beach party thing going on all year in our wonderful climate, Memorial Day weekend is not such a dramatic transition into summer for us.
As we're sure you know, Memorial Day isn't a holiday that commemorates picnics. It's a holiday to commemorate our war dead. Many different communities lay claim to having...

Sitting in Pescadou Bistro and gazing out of the window at Newport Boulevard and City Hall doesn't really transport you to France, but as soon as you taste the food, memories of a delicious meal in a charming bistro in some small Gallic village immediately come to mind.
The interior of this pleasant, comfortable room has mustardy stucco walls accented with copper pots, arches dividing the two dining areas, banquettes lining the room and crisp white linens. Much to our delight, it is a room with good...